Aspects of the invention are directed to a thermoelectric power converter support structure for a heat pipe cooled reactor.
A heat pipe cooled reactor (HPCR) is a fission heat source for a <30 kWt space power system. To optimize a size and mass of the HPCR, a diameter of the potassium or sodium (K or Na) heat pipe will be designed to be relatively long and relatively narrow with the K or Na vapor contained therein. In an example, a 20 kWt sized HPCR may have 18 heat pipes with each heat pipe being several meters long and 1-1.5 cm, in outside diameter. For each heat pipe, a plurality of thermoelectric power converters (TECs) may be operably coupled to the heat pipe surface for power generation along a condenser section thereof. In each case, a hot side of the TEC couples receives heat from the heat pipe condenser surface via various heat transfer mechanisms and the TEC produces electricity in accordance with known thermoelectric principles methods.
With such long and small diameter heat pipes, surviving launch loads and accommodating thermal expansion during HPCR startup must be considered.